I could not comment (From Barry And District News)

I could not comment

11:15am Thursday 14th March 2013 in Letters

I WOULD like to reply to a number of attacks made by many of my political adversaries (eg Barrie V Evans, Jeff Heathfield) questioning my commitment to Oak Field School.

I am the longest serving governor at Oak Field School and as such have given many years of service supporting both the children and parents and I will, with the help of the local community and council, continue to support them through some very difficult challenges ahead.

I have never tried to paint a rosy picture about the challenges facing the school – that would be to deceive parents and the school staff. We have been without a permanent headteacher for many years. That single fact is one of the school’s biggest problems. I will also not hide from the reality that many local parents have chosen not to send their children to the school.

I have been criticised for not attending a emergency parents’ meeting which was called at short notice to discuss a Part 2 report coming from a scrutiny sub-committee chaired by Cllr Nic Hodges (Part 2 means that the report is confidential and that according to the councillors’ code of conduct, which every councillor signs up to on their election, no councillor was allowed to speak on in the public domain).

I already had two other meetings for that evening and one of them was the Colcot Residents Board meeting. So I had the choice of going to a meeting at which I could not speak at, a fact that my political enemies would take full advantage of, or to attend the other two meetings at which I could speak and contribute.

May I also point out that out of the 14 other Oak Field governors only two were able to attend that meeting! And that at a subsequent scheduled governors meeting less than a week later I was able to report back in full to both governors and parents that the cabinet, which makes the day to day decisions for the council, had unanimously backed the parents and recommended to not close any of the three schools mentioned in Cllr Nic Hodges scrutiny report.

My commitment to the children of Gibbonsdown was never in doubt but I will, however, apologise for the fact that for four weeks, due to the councillors’ code of conduct with a confidential Part 2 report, I was unable to discuss this report with anyone outside of the council. A fact that my political enemies took full advantage of.

Over the coming weeks, months and years I will continue to work for the best educational needs of the children of Gibbonsdown and of Oak Field School.

Cllr Rob Curtis Merthyr Dyfan Road Barry